Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a cancer of the brain. Current survival rates for people with GBM are poor; survival ranges from 5.2 months to 39 months. Most tumors come back within months or years after treatment, and when they do, they are worse: Overall survival drops to less than 10 months. No standard treatment exists for people whose GBM has returned after radiation therapy. Objective: To find a safe schedule for using radiation to treat GBM tumors that returned after initial radiation treatment. Eligibility: People aged 18 years and older with grade 4 GBM that returned after initial radiation treatment. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam with blood tests. A sample of tumor tissue may be collected. Participants will undergo re-irradiation planning: They will wear a plastic mask over their head during imaging scans. These scans will pinpoint the exact location of the tumor. This spot will be the target of the radiation treatments. Participants will undergo radiation treatment 4 times per week. Some people will have this treatment for 3 weeks, some for 2 weeks, and some for 1 week. Blood tests and other exams will be repeated at each visit. Participants will complete questionnaires about their physical and mental health. They will answer these questions before starting radiation treatment; once a week during treatment; and at intervals for up to 3 years after treatment ends. Participants will have follow-up visits 1 month after treatment and then every 2 months for 6 months. Follow-up clinic visits will continue up to 3 years. Follow-ups by phone or email will continue an additional 2 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

Background: - GATA2 deficiency is a genetic disorder that can cause problems with a person s immune system and other body systems. Some people who have this disorder develop few problems from it. Others can have a wide range of health problems, from skin problems, to hearing loss, to cancer. These problems can happen at any age. Researchers want to study GATA2 deficiency to better understand what types of health problems it can cause, and why it causes problems in some people but not others, and at different ages. Objectives: - To improve understanding of GATA2 deficiency so there can be better diagnostic tests and treatments in the future. Eligibility: - People 2 years of age or older who have a GATA2 gene mutation or certain health conditions that are commonly seen in people with this mutation and their blood relatives. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected to see whether participants have the GATA2 genetic mutation. Several other tests may be recommended, but participants can decline to take them. - Participants will be eligible to receive standard care for GATA2 deficiency through this protocol. They may be eligible for other clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health as well. - Participants will have regular study visits once a year to evaluate their GATA2 deficiency. Participants will take part in the study for at least 3 years and up to 15 years. At these follow-up visits, participants will fill out a questionnaire and take a physical exam and blood tests. Other tests may be performed as needed.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2013

open study

Background: Small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB) and other high-grade neuroendocrine tumors (HGNET) of the urinary tract are rare but aggressive cancers. Average survival for people diagnosed with SCCB or HGNET is about 1 year. Lurbinectedin and avelumab are drugs that are approved to treat other cancers. Researchers want to see if these drugs can help people with SCCB or HGNET. Objective: To test lurbinectedin with or without avelumab in people with SCCB or HGNET. Eligibility: Adults aged 18 years and older with SCBB or HGNET that returned and spread after treatment. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam. They will have blood tests and imaging scans. They may need to have a new biopsy: A small needle will be used to collect a tissue sample from the tumor. Both study drugs are given through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein. If participants have already received a drug like avelumab they will receive only lurbinectedin. If patients have not been previously treated with a drug like avelumab they will receive both lurbinectedin and avelumab. All participants will receive their treatment once every 3 weeks for up to 10 years. They will also receive other drugs to relieve adverse effects. Biopsies, blood tests, and imaging scans will be repeated during some study visits. Participants may also have urine tests and tests of their heart function. Participants may remain in the study as long as the treatment is helping them. If they stop treatment, they will have safety visits 14, 30, and 90 days after their last dose. Additional follow-up visits will continue 5 to 10 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

Background: SBMA is an inherited chronic disease. It affects males in mid to late adulthood. It causes slowly progressive weakness of muscles and hand tremors. Researchers want to learn more about the effects of SBMA. Objective: To identify measurements that change over time in SBMA, including tests of muscle strength and function, as well as measurements of muscle and fat size. Eligibility: Men over the age of 18 both with and without a history of SBMA. Design: Participants will have a medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. They will have neuromuscular ultrasound. They will have a lumbar puncture to obtain spinal fluid. For this, a needle will be inserted into the spinal canal in the lower back. Participants will have muscle strength and function tests. These tests may include pushing, pulling, rising from a chair and sitting back down, and/or walking. During these tests, they may wear an accelerometer (activity tracker) on their wrist. Participants will get an activity tracker to wear on their wrist for 10 days at home every 3 months. Participants with SBMA will also have lower limb magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optional whole-body MRI. They will have lung function tests. They will have speech and swallow tests. They will complete questionnaires. They may have optional body scans to measure bone density and lean body mass. They may have optional muscle biopsies. For biopsies, a needle will be used to take a small piece of muscle from the leg. Participants with SBMA will have 5 study visits over 2 years (every 6 months). Participants without SBMA will have 1 study visit.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2021

open study

Background: RASopathies are a group of conditions caused by a genetic change. People with a RASopathy may have developmental issues, cognitive disability, poor growth, and birth defects. They may also have an increased risk for developing cancer. Researchers want to learn more. Objective: To learn more about RASopathies, how genes and environmental factors contribute to cancer development in people with RASopathies, and the best way to find these cancers and other conditions early or prevent them. Eligibility: People of any age who have or may have a RASopathy, and their family members. Design: Participants will complete questionnaires about their personal and family medical history. Their medical records will be reviewed. Participants will give blood and urine samples. They will give a saliva or cheek cell sample. Some samples will be used for genetic testing. Participants may have a skin biopsy. Participants may have a physical exam by the RASopathies study team. They may also have exams by additional specialists, such as dentists; urologists; ear, nose, and throat doctors; and neurologists. Participants may have computed tomography of the face and mouth. They may have an ultrasound of the abdomen. They may have a bone density scan. They may have skeletal and/or spine x-rays. They may have magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, low back, chest, and/or heart. They may be photographed. Participants may have other tests, such as sleep, brain and heart electrical activity, speech and swallow, metabolism, hearing, eye, and colon function tests. Participants may sign separate consent forms for some tests. Participation will last indefinitely. Participants may be contacted once in a while by phone or mail. They may have follow-up visits.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2022

open study

Background: The NCI Surgery Branch has developed an experimental therapy that involves taking white blood cells from patients' tumors, growing them in the laboratory in large numbers, and then giving the cells back to the patient. These cells are called Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes, or TIL and we have given this type of treatment to over 100 patients. In this study, we are selecting a specific subset of white blood cells from the tumor that we think are the most effective in fighting tumors and will use only these cells in making the tumor fighting cells. Objective: The purpose of this study is to see if these specifically selected tumor fighting cells can cause non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors to shrink and to see if this treatment is safe. Eligibility: - Adults age 18-72 with NSCLC who have a tumor that can be safely removed. Design: - Work up stage: Patients will be seen as an outpatient at the NIH clinical Center and undergo a history and physical examination, scans, x-rays, lab tests, and other tests as needed - Surgery: If the patients meet all of the requirements for the study they will undergo surgery to remove a tumor that can be used to grow the TIL product. - Leukapheresis: Patients may undergo leukapheresis to obtain additional white blood cells. {Leukapheresis is a common procedure, which removes only the white blood cells from the patient.} - Treatment: Once their cells have grown, the patients will be admitted to the hospital for the conditioning chemotherapy, the TIL cells and aldesleukin. They will stay in the hospital for about 4 weeks for the treatment. Follow up: Patients will return to the clinic for a physical exam, review of side effects, lab tests, and scans about every 1-3 months for the first year, and then every 6 months to 1 year as long as their tumors are shrinking. Follow up visits take up to 2 days.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2014

open study

This study collects specimens from volunteers for use in studies by NIAID's Vaccine Research Center. A number of different types of specimens or samples can be collected, including blood, urine, body fluids or secretions, skin swabs, or skin biopsies. The samples are used for medical research, including the study of HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases; immune system responses, such as responses to vaccinations or infections; and for research on vaccine development. Blood samples may be collected either by ordinary blood drawing (phlebotomy) or by apheresis, a procedure for collecting a larger quantity of blood cells or plasma than would be possible through simple blood drawing. For this procedure, the participant lies on a recliner or couch. Blood is removed through a needle in the vein of one arm and spun in a machine that separates out the desired component (plasma or white blood cells). The remainder of the blood is returned either through the same needle or through a needle in the other arm. The procedure takes about 1 to 3 hours. Volunteers who are 18 years of age and older, including participants in other NIH research protocols, may be eligible. Individuals who have a condition that the research staff considers a reason not to make a sample donation will be excluded from the study. Participants may have only one sample collected or may be asked to undergo repetitive sample collection procedures, depending upon the requirements of the particular research project for which the samples are being collected. Each individual's enrollment is for a 1-year period, which can be extended.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2003

open study

Background: The drug venetoclax treats chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Researchers want to find better treatments for CLL. To do that, they need to learn how the drug affects CLL cancer cells and the immune system. Objective: To learn about genetic changes that happen during treatment of CLL with venetoclax. Eligibility: Adults ages 18 and older with relapsed or refractory CLL after at least 1 prior therapy Design: Participants will be screened under a separate protocol. In Phase 1, participants will get venetoclax free of charge through the NIH. Venetoclax is started at a low dose. The dose will be increased every week until participants reach their maximum tolerable dose. This usually take about 5 weeks. Participants will visit the NIH at least once per week. Visits will be about 4 hours. They may have to stay in the hospital to be observed. In Phase 2, participants will continue to get the drug through their local cancer doctor and their health insurance. Patients will also visit the NIH every 6 months, or if their disease progresses. At the NIH participants will have regular health assessments. These will include physical exams and a review of the medicines they are taking. They will talk about how they are feeling. The study included the following tests: Blood draws CT scans: Participants will lie in a machine that takes pictures of the body (maximum 3 per year) Bone marrow biopsies: A small amount of marrow will be taken out of the participant s hip bone with a needle. Optional lymph node biopsies: A small piece of the participant s tissue will be taken out with a needle. The study will last at least 2 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

Background: Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that grows in the linings of the body; this can include the membranes that line the heart, lungs, and internal organs. Mesothelin (MSLN) is a protein that appears in high numbers in many tumors, including mesothelioma. Researchers are developing a new treatment that collects a person s own immune cells (T cells); the T cells are genetically modified to target and kill tumor cells with high levels of MSLN. Objective: To test a new treatment (TNhYP218 CAR T cells) in people with solid tumors including mesothelioma. Eligibility: People aged 18 and older with solid tumors including mesothelioma that returned or spread after standard treatment. Design: Participants will be screened. A small piece of tissue will be cut from a tumor (biopsy). The sample will be tested to see if it has enough MSLN. Participants will undergo leukapheresis: Blood will be taken from their body through a vein. The blood will pass through a machine that separates out the T cells. The remaining blood will be returned to the body through a different vein. Participant s T cells will be modified in a lab to produce TNhYP218 CAR T cells. Participants will enter the hospital. For 7 days, they will receive drugs to prepare their bodies for the study treatment. TNhYP218 CAR T cells will be administered into a vein. Participants will remain in the hospital for at least 7 more days. After discharge, participants will have follow-up visits for 5 years. These visits may include imaging scans, blood and heart tests, and a new biopsy. Long-term follow-up will continue another 10 years....

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

Background: Prostate cancer is often treated with radiation and ADT (ADT is androgen deprivation therapy). Up to 30% of these cancers recur within 5 years of treatment. Researchers want to see if a new drug (PDS01ADC) can help the immune system to fight prostate cancer. Objective: To find what doses of PDS01ADC are safe in people who are treated for prostate cancer. Also, to see what effects PDS01ADC has on the immune system. Eligibility: People aged 18 and older with high- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Their cancer must not have spread to other parts of the body. Design: The study will last 7 months. Participants will be screened. They will share their medical history. They will also have: <TAB>A physical exam <TAB>Routine blood and urine tests <TAB>Imaging scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis <TAB>A bone scan <TAB>A tumor biopsy <TAB>A specialized MRI. Participants will lie face down on the MRI scanner table. An antenna that receives a signal may be placed in the rectum. All participants will be treated with radiation therapy and ADT. Some participants will also receive PDS01ADC as an injection under the skin. This treatment will start 4 weeks after the radiation has ended. Participants will receive a total of 3 doses. The injections will be 4 weeks apart. Some screening tests will be repeated at each visit. Participants who do not receive PDS01ADC will also have screening tests during the treatment period. Participants will return for follow-up about 1 month after the last treatment or set of tests.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

Background: When children have severe irritability and temper outbursts, they can be so cranky or angry that it leads to problems at home, in school, and with friends. This is called Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) and there have been no psychological treatments developed specifically for children with this problem. Researchers think two forms of therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpretation Bias Training (IBT), might help children with DMDD. Objective: To test two whether IBT and CBT can decrease severe irritability in children and youth. Eligibility: Children 8-17 years old with DMDD. Their symptoms must have started before age 10. Design: Participants will be screened with a review of their symptoms. Parents and participants will answer questions. Participants can do only one or both of these treatments if they wish. Those who wish to do both will start with IBT. Participants who do CBT will have 12-16 weekly meetings of research talk therapy. A parent will participate in part of the sessions. Participants will talk about what makes them irritable and how it affects them. They may be put in situations that might make them annoyed or irritable. Participants will rate how intense their irritability is. Parents and participants will complete rating scales, questionnaires, and interviews. Participants will do practice activities at home. Participants doing IBT will have up to 14 sessions over 10 weeks. Participants will view 15 faces, one at a time, on a computer. They will choose if the face looks happy or angry on a computer. Sometimes the computer gives feedback. Participants will complete some sessions at the NIH and some at home. Participants and parents answer questions about their progress.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Nov 2015

open study

Background: Urothelial cancer is cancer of the bladder, ureter, and urethra. Researchers want to better understand what changes in a person s cells and genes cause this cancer to form. This may help them find new ways to treat it. Objective: - To perform DNA sequencing to help researchers learn the differences between normal tissue and tumor tissue. Also, to learn how molecular changes - including gene changes - might help predict the course of disease and how people respond to therapy. Eligibility: - Adults age 18 and older who have or are suspected of having urothelial cancer or an inherited disorder that raises their risk of getting bladder cancer. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical exam. Their medical records and tissue samples will be reviewed. - Eligible participants will give tissue blocks of their original tumor. The blocks will be put in a tissue bank. - Participants medical records may be reviewed. - Participants may have a medical history and physical exam. - Participants may have blood and urine tests. They may have imaging scans. They may give urine, blood, and saliva samples. These samples may be used in future research. - If participants need surgery for their cancer, researchers will keep some of the tissue (both tumor and normal tissue). The tissue may be used in future research. - Participants will go back to the Clinical Center in 6 months. They may give saliva, urine, and blood samples. After 6 months, they will be seen by their local doctor for standard post-surgical visits. - Participants will be called every 6 months to give health updates.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Nov 2015

open study

Background: - Vasculitis is a group of diseases that inflame and damage blood vessels and tissue. It can cause many medical problems. Few tests can diagnose the disease, and none can reliably predict a relapse. Researchers want to study people's genes and follow people over time to see how the disease affects them. Objective: - To learn the signs, symptoms, imaging tests, genetic markers, and blood tests that can help identify people with vasculitis and predict what will happen to them over time. Eligibility: - People age 3 and older who have or are thought to have vasculitis, or are related to someone with it. - Healthy volunteers. Design: - Participants will be evaluated by a doctor who has expertise caring for patients with vasculitis. - Participants will give a blood sample. Some will give a urine sample. - Some participants may have brushings or biopsies taken from the inside lining of the nose. - Images of participants' blood vessels may be taken using scans. For some scans, participants will lie on a table that moves in and out of a cylinder that takes pictures. For some scans, a contrast agent may be injected into an arm vein. Other scans may use a radioactive form of sugar. Healthy minors will not have scans. - Some participants will answer questionnaires. - Some participants will have their tests done at NIH. Others will have their doctor take the blood, saliva, or cheek swab samples and send them to NIH. - Some participants will have one visit lasting 1-2 (but sometimes up to 4) days. Some participants may have follow-up visits every 3 - 6 months, indefinitely.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2014

open study

Despite the clear importance of adolescence in the emergence of a number of disease states and processes, there is surprisingly little known about how the endocrine and metabolic events accompanying puberty in humans impact normal developmental neurobiology. Epidemiologic studies have identified sexual dimorphisms in the prevalence of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and substance abuse. Many of these sex differences emerge during or shortly after puberty and are maintained until the 5th-6th decade of life. For example, the two-fold greater risk of unipolar depression in women compared with men does not appear until adolescence, and prior to puberty girls are not at increased risk relative to boys. Puberty is a structured, transitional process that can be influenced by both nutritional factors and environmental stressors; nonetheless, the variability in the timing and duration of puberty is largely determined by oligogenic inheritance. Basic neuroscience research has demonstrated that hormonal events accompanying puberty impact on many of the physiologic systems involved in the regulation of brain function (e.g., the appearance of new neurons in a brain-region specific pattern, neuronal remodeling, and the pruning of cortical connectivity). Additionally, not only does stress during puberty increase the risk of disturbances in affective adaptation during adulthood, but the events accompanying puberty modify stress responsivity (e.g., alterations in the duration and peak response of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis hormones to stressors). Moreover, animal work has demonstrated that neural connectivity differs in a brain regional specific manner according to the stage of puberty (i.e., early versus late). In humans, puberty also occurs in stages, and although the endocrinology of puberty, surprisingly, has not been fully characterized with longitudinal data, studies have documented that the physical changes measured by Tanner stages I to V are accompanied by progressive increases in the secretions of both gonadal and adrenal steroids. Nonetheless, there remains considerable variability in the timing and duration of this otherwise highly structured reproductive transition. We propose to perform a longitudinal, naturalistic study examining changes in brain structure and function, behavior, and stress responsivity in boys and girls across the pubertal transition. Because the pubertal transition is defined by a complex series of physiologic events that emerge sequentially over several years and involve changes in multiple endocrine and growth systems, and because there is also considerable variability in the timing of these events reflecting the influence of both genetic and environmental factors, puberty cannot by delineated by age of the participants as has been done in most imaging and other neurobiological studies of adolescence. The present study will formally bridge this gap by defining pubertal events per se in participants. Participants will include healthy boys and girls whose pubertal status will be assessed, and in whom endocrine, metabolic, and brain imaging measures will be evaluated at eight - ten month intervals from age eight years (pre-puberty) until age 17 years (post-puberty). Reproductive endocrine, metabolic, and physical measures will be employed to characterize the stage and duration of pubertal development. Outcome measures will be derived via multimodal neuroimaging techniques, cognitive/behavioral assessments, metabolic measurements, and evaluations of HPA axis function. Additionally, the impact of genetic variation on the developmental trajectory of these parameters (both reproductive and CNS) will be determined. This cross-institute proposal will employ a multidisciplinary approach to evaluating the effects on CNS function of the process of puberty in both boys and girls. This work will not only serve to inform research on the mechanisms by which sexual dimorphisms in neuropsychiatric disorders develop, it will also have important implications for the prevention and treatment of these disorders.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Nov 2011

open study

This study will collect blood and urine samples from patients undergoing radiation therapy for glioblastoma multiforme (a type of brain tumor) to investigate the effects of this treatment on blood cells and certain proteins. The information from this study may help scientists develop new tests to measure radiation exposure and find new ways to treat cancer with radiation, and help determine which kinds of patients or tumors respond better to radiation therapy. Two proteins of particular interest in this study and which may be involved in the recurrence of cancer are VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases). Patients 18 years of age and older with glioblastoma multiforme who are receiving or will receive radiation therapy as part of their medical treatment may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a history and physical examination, blood tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Participants will have blood and urine samples collected before, during and after completion of their radiation treatment. Urine samples are collected in a cup and about 2 tablespoons of blood are withdrawn through a needle in a vein. Additional samples may be requested at different times during treatment and in the 3-year follow-up period.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2004

open study

Background: Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), also known as Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 (APS-1), is a disease that causes the immune system to attack parts of a person's body. In some people, APECED attacks the small intestine; this causes an illness called enteritis. Objective: To test a drug (emapalumab) in people with enteritis caused by APECED. Eligibility: People aged 2 to 75 years with APECED and enteritis. They must also be enrolled in protocol 11-I-0187. Design: Participants will have 10-13 study visits in an 18-month period. Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam with blood tests. These tests will be repeated at every study visit. They will have a test of their heart function. This will be at screening and prior to drug administration. Other tests are optional: Participants may have imaging exams and a test of lung function. They may have an endoscopy, which is an exam of their digestive tract. Participants may provide samples of urine, stool, nail clippings, saliva, vaginal fluid, or skin. Photos may be taken of their skin or scalp. These tests may be repeated at some visits. Emapalumab is given through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein. All participants will receive 7 doses: 2 on their first study visit; then 1 each at 30-day intervals. Some participants will have an observation period before they begin taking the drug; in those situations, they will either be seen in person or via video visit every 2 months before starting emapalumab to see how their symptoms change over time. Participants will have a follow-up visit 1 month after their last dose. Then they will have 2 telehealth visits at 30-day intervals. They will have a final clinic visit 1 year after their first dose. ...

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

Background: About 90,000 new cases of brain and spinal cord tumors are diagnosed annually in the United States. Most of these tumors are benign; however, about 30% are malignant, and 35% of people with malignant tumors in the brain and spinal cord will die within 5 years. Many of these people have changes in certain genes (MYC or MYCN) that drive the development of their cancers. Objective: To test a study drug (PLX038) in people with tumors of the brain or spinal cord. Eligibility: People aged 18 years or older with a tumor of the brain or spinal cord. Some participants must also have tumors with changes in the MYC or MYCN genes. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam and blood tests. They will have imaging scans and a test of their heart function. They may need to have a biopsy: A sample of tissue will be removed from their tumor. PLX038 is given through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein in the arm. All participants will receive PLX038 on the first day of each 21-day treatment cycle. They will take a second drug 3 days later to help reduce the risk of infection; for this drug, participants will be shown how to inject themselves under the skin at home. Blood tests, imaging scans, and other tests will be repeated during study visits. Hair samples will also be collected during these visits. Some participants may have an additional biopsy. Study treatment will continue up to 7 months. Follow-up visits will continue every few months for up to 5 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

Background: The retina is a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye. Retinal disease usually reduces a person s mobility because it affects how he or she moves through familiar and unfamiliar environments. Researchers want to see if a virtual reality (VR) tool can provide an easier and more accurate way to assess mobility. Objective: To learn if researchers can track changes in mobility in people with retinal disease using a new VR tool. Eligibility: People aged 5 and older with retinal disease that affects their vision, and healthy volunteers. Design: Participants will have 2-3 clinic visits. Participants will wear goggles or sit in front of a screen while sitting. Using a game controller, they will navigate through 4 obstacle courses presented in VR. Participants will have a medical history exam. They will answer questions about their family history. They will fill out questionnaires about the vision and mobility issues they have in their daily lives. Participants will have a complete eye exam. They will read letters from a chart. Their eye pressure will be measured. Their pupils may be dilated with eye drops. Pictures of their eye will be taken. Lights will be shined in their eyes. Participants will take a visual field test. For this, they will look into a dome and press a button when they see a light. Participants will have an electroretinogram. For this, they will sit in the dark with their eyes patched. Then their eyes will be numbed with eye drops and they will wear contact lenses while watching flashing lights. Participants will have optical coherence tomography. This is a noninvasive procedure. It produces cross-sectional pictures of the retina....

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

Background: When people see and hear, the brain changes signals from the eyes and ears into perceptions and thoughts. No one fully understands how this happens. Researchers want to explore how healthy brains process sights and sounds. Objectives: To explore how people understand what they see and hear when the brain processes sights and sounds. Eligibility: Participants aged 13-65 who have at least 20/40 vision in at least one eye and do not use a hearing aid. Design: Some participants will take tests online anonymously. They will do computer tasks related to colors and behavior. In-person participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. They will complete questionnaires and vision and hearing tests. Participants will plan how many testing sessions they will have and when. Sessions last 2-5 hours. They may include: - Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Magnets and radio waves to take pictures of the brain. Participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of a tube. They will do a task during the scan. - Magnetoencephalography: Records magnetic field changes from brain activity. Participants will sit or lie down. A cone will be lowered onto their head. They may do a task during the test. - Electromyography: Electrodes attached to the skin will measure the electrical activity of muscles. - Electroencephalogram: Electrodes on the scalp will record brain waves. - Electrocardiography: Electrodes on the chest will record heart electrical activity. - Tests of memory, attention, thinking, vision, and hearing. - Eye Tracking: Cameras will follow participants eye movements. They may wear a cap with infrared cameras in front of their eyes. During the sessions, participants vital signs may be monitored.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2019

open study

Background: - By the time diseases of the retina are detected, serious damage has often already been done. Researchers want to find better ways of viewing the retina. One way called adaptive optics may help detect problems earlier. Objectives: - To study if adaptive optics can help find better ways to diagnose, treat, and manage retinal diseases. Eligibility: - People over age 12 with an eye disease. - Healthy volunteers over age 12. Design: - Participants will be screened with medical history and eye exams. These may include dilating pupils and taking pictures of the eyes. - Participants will have 1 or more study visits. They will have: - Medical and eye history. - Questions about their medications. - Eye exam including pupil dilation. - Adaptive optics imaging. After dilation, participants sit still while looking into an adaptive optics instrument. They look at specific places and images are taken of their retina. - They may also have: - More images. - Perimetry. Participants look into a lens and press a button when they see a light. - Color vision tests. - Electroretinogram. Participants will get numbing eye drops and special contact lenses. A small metal electrode will be put on their forehead. They will look at flashing lights and try not to blink.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2015

open study

Background: - Best Vitelliform Dystrophy (Best disease), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration (L-ORD), and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) all affect the retina, the light sensing area at the back of the eye. Doctors cannot safely obtain retinal cells to study these diseases. However, cells collected from hair follicles, skin, saliva, urine, and blood can be used for research. Researchers want to collect cells from people with Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD, and compare their cells with those of healthy volunteers. Objectives: - To collect hair, skin, saliva, urine, and/or blood samples to study three eye diseases that affect the retina: Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD. Eligibility: - Individuals affected with ocular condition is one year of age or older. - Individuals affected with Best disease, L-ORD, or AMD is 18 years of age or older. - Unaffected individuals are seven years of age or older. Design: - The study requires one visit to the National Eye Institute. - Participants will be screened with a medical and eye disease history. They may also have an eye exam. - Participants will provide a hair sample, saliva sample, urine sample, blood sample, and/or a skin biopsy. The hair will be collected from the back of the head, and the skin will be collected from the inside of the upper arm.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2011

open study

Background: - A number of rare inherited diseases affect only a few patients, and the genetic causes of these conditions remain unknown. Researchers are studying the use of a new technology called genome sequencing to learn which gene or genes cause these conditions. Understanding the genes that cause these diseases is important to improve diagnosis and treatment of affected patients. Objectives: - To identify the genetic cause of disorders that are difficult to identify with existing techniques. - To develop best practices for the medical and counseling challenges of genome sequencing. Eligibility: - Individuals who have one of the rare disorders under consideration in this study. These conditions are generally those in which the genetic cause of the disorder is unknown. The eligibility of most individual participants will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the researchers. - Family members of affected individuals, if that family member (often a parent) may provide genetic information. Design: Participants in this study will have at least one and in some cases several of the following procedures: - A medical genetics evaluation. - Other tests that may include x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams, and consultations with other doctors. Not all studies are necessary for each person, but the information from the tests may be required to proceed with some of our gene sequencing studies. - Clinical photographs to document certain aspects of the disorder. - Blood, saliva, and skin biopsy samples, or other tissue samples, as required by the study doctors. - Genetic testing, as decided by the researchers. However, most participants in this study can expect to undergo genome sequencing, which is a technique to study all of a person s genes. - Participants will have choices about what kinds of results from genome sequencing they wish to learn. - After the tests have been completed and the results of the genetic studies are known, participants may be offered a return visit to the National Institutes of Health to learn these results, or the results may be returned by telephone or by a participant's home provider.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2010

open study

BACKGROUND - This protocol acknowledges that it is in the interest of the NIH and ROB, as well as our participants, to continue to follow those who have been treated with radiotherapy at ROB and are not otherwise eligible for current active research protocols. - It also provides a mechanism for the correlation and interpretation of disparate data for research into the long term side effects and outcomes for a variety of disease entities and treatments, such as combined modality treatment, MoAb, PDT, radiation modifiers, intraoperative radiotherapy, etc. OBJECTIVE -The primary objective of this protocol is to assess the late effects of treatment and the natural history of disease through collection of data from any standard procedures performed as part of follow up care on participants previously treated with radiotherapy. ELIGIBILITY -Participants who received radiation therapy. DESIGN - This is a natural history protocol in which long-term follow up data will be collected from participants who received radiation therapy. - It will be made clear to participants in the consent form, that data collected during their follow-up may be used anonymously for publications concerning the natural history of disease processes and long-term effects of treatment.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2000

open study

The research goal of this study is to obtain CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from peripheral blood and/or bone marrow, and Mononuclear Cells (lymphocytes and monocytes), and granulocytes (grans) from peripheral blood that will be used in the laboratory and/or in the clinic to develop new cell therapies for patients with inherited or acquired disorders of immunity or blood cells. Development of novel cellular therapies requires access to HSC, Mononuclear Cells and/or granulocytes as the essential starting materials for the pre-clinical laboratory development of gene therapies and other engineered cell products. HSC or blood cells from healthy adult volunteers serve both as necessary experimental controls and also as surrogates for patient cells for clinical scale-up development. HSC or blood cells from patients serve both as the necessary experimental substrate for novel gene therapy and cellular engineering development for specific disorders and as pre-clinical scale up of cellular therapies. Collection of cells from adult patients collected in the NIH Department of Transfusion Medicine (DTM) under conditions conforming to accepted blood banking clinical practice may also be used directly in or cryopreserved for future use in other NIH protocols that have all required regulatory approvals allowing such use. In summary, the research goal of this protocol is the collection of HSC or blood cells that may be used for both laboratory research and/or for clinical treatment in other approved protocols.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 1994

open study

Background: Respiratory viruses, like the flu or COVID-19, cause significant illness and death worldwide. Researchers want to collect samples from people with respiratory virus infections. The samples in this natural history study will be used in future research. Objective: To obtain samples from people with respiratory viruses to learn more about respiratory virus infections and the immune responses against them. Eligibility: People aged 3 and older who have or are suspected to have a respiratory virus infection. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical record review. Participants will give blood samples. Data from their medical records will be collected. Participants will give nose samples. A soft plastic strip will be put into each nostril for a minute. They may also give nose, mouth (back of the throat), or saliva samples using swabs. Participants may receive kits by mail to collect nose and blood samples at home. They will use soft plastic strips to collect nose samples. To collect blood, they will prick their finger and dab a few drops of blood on four plastic tips. If a participant is in the hospital, air samples may be collected in their room. Participation will last for up to 2 years. After 2 years, participants may be asked for their consent again to give new samples and new medical data.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2022

open study